Ethics team nabs regional title

Dec. 12, 2006

KALAMAZOO--A team of three students from Western Michigan
University will compete in the national Ethics Bowl competition
in February in Cincinnati after their victory at a regional competition
Dec. 2.

WMU's Ethics Bowl team went undefeated in the regional competition
held at Harper College near Chicago, ultimately besting a team
from Illinois Institute of Technology for the top spot. WMU will
now compete with more than 30 teams Feb. 22 at the Thirteenth
Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, held in conjunction with the Association
for Practical and Professional Ethics annual meeting in Cincinnati.

"The team exceeded all my expectations," says team
faculty sponsor Dr. Sandra Borden, WMU associate professor of
communication and co-director of WMU's Center for the Study of
Ethics in Society. "We were up against some very good schools.
Finishing undefeated is a big accomplishment."

The ethics bowl competition requires students to defend their
positions on ethical questions related to a variety of areas,
including engineering, law, medicine, personal relationships,
school and politics. The students receive 15 extensive case studies
involving ethical issues to examine in advance of the competition.
As teams present their positions on cases and critique opposing
teams' positions, they are judged based on the focus, thoroughness,
clarity and logic of their positions.

WMU team members are Natalie Kaftan, a junior majoring in
interpersonal communication and vocal performance from De Pere,
Wis.; Shawn Myers, a sophomore majoring in biomedical sciences
and psychology from Jackson, Mich., and Jennifer Praner, a sophomore
majoring in biomedical sciences from Battle Creek, Mich.

The team is coached by David Charlton, a graduate student
in comparative religion from Kalamazoo; and philosophy graduate
students Brennan Jacoby of Clarklake, Mich., and Joshua Upson
of Galesburg, Mich. The WMU Center for the Study of Ethics in
Society sponsors the team with support from the Lee Honors College.

In February, WMU will vie with 32 other teams for the national
title. WMU has competed in the Ethics Bowl contest every year
since its inception as a regional contest in 1994. The competition
expanded to the national level in 1997, and WMU has consistently
placed among the top 10 teams, garnering third out of 14 teams
in 1998 and fifth out of 26 teams in 2000.

"The students are very excited about going to nationals,"
says Borden. "I'm sure they will work hard to build on the
reasoning skills and teamwork that led them to their success
at the regional contest. If they do that, they can't go wrong."

WMU Ethics Team members

Natalie Kaftan, a junior majoring in interpersonal
communication and vocal performance from De Pere, Wis., is the
daughter of Jodi and Charles Kaftan of De Pere, and a 2004 graduate
of De Pere High School. She is a member of the WMU Lee Honors
College and a Medallion Scholar.

Shawn Myers, a sophomore majoring in biomedical sciences
and psychology from Jackson, Mich., is the son of Mark Myers
of Hanover, Mich., and Susan Hunt of Clarklake, Mich. A 2005
graduate of Hanover Horton High School, he is a member of the
WMU Lee Honors College.

Jennifer Praner, a sophomore majoring in biomedical
sciences from Battle Creek, Mich., is the daughter of Karen and
David Praner of Battle Creek, and is a 1998 graduate of Bitburg
American High School in Bitburg, Germany.